Readers Respond: Have You Been Bullied?

Responses: 58

According to experts, a kids' "perceived sexual orientation" is the number two reason they are bullied. At number one is bullying because of appearance, which can include "perceived sexual orientation and gender identity as well as other issues," says bullying prevention expert Dr. David Hall.

Were you bullied in school for being gay, lesbian, bi or trans or because other kids thought you were gay? Tell us your story. How can we prevent bullying in schools?

Being bi

Yes I'm not the straightest person I'll admit that but I don't get bullied for that.....much. Yeah people make their stupid little comments but you have to ignore. I'm 14 years old and live in a very racist state where people also discriminate you a lot.....Texas. I wish people wouldn't bother other people by their sexual preferences because in many cases suicide has occured.:B
And that will never change the FCC that we are all the same and should be treated equally.

—Guest saraY

Re: Gay Bullying.

I get called names. But mostly just online and when people see me outside of school. I used to have self-esteem and depression issues, sometimes I still do. But being bullied has just made me stronger in many ways. I am proud when kids come up to me and ask, "Are you a lesbian?', and answer, "No. I'm bi." and walk away. So to anyone that sees this, tell an adult if your safety feels threated by homophobic bullies. It sounds cliche but they can really make a difference.

—Guest Helpless

not really.

i was open at school. and well other guys didnt feel uncomfortable around me. i was never really bullied perse, i guess mainly bc all of my friends were good people that accepted me for what i was. i guess im the lucky one.

—Guest KrystaL

yes i have

This guy on my bus is always harrasing me. Nobody knows about my orientation. one day he asked me if i was gay and said no and then hes like you Jewish and now every days hes harrasing me. Don't get me wrong he is HOT but a total jerk the people on my bus just stay there quiet our bus driver is never there before we leave so there's no adult

—Guest just lonely me

I'm gay

I'm gay and I'm 12 . I have told only one of my friends and even defore I new I was gay people would always call me names. Even my parents making gay jokes about me . It hurts because I go to school get called nemes and I came home and I get called names . I have cut myself and had suadside thoughts . I have tried to put it behind and try to go out with girls to show my friends that I'm bit gay but I was not being myself . When I was watching tv I had funny feeling at the men in . When I got a computer I would look up pictures of men . Im gay and im in elementry school I can't imagine middle school or hight school . B

—Guest Ben

Gay bullying

I get bullied daily. It's heartbreaking for me and I just want it to stop now. It's not as bad as most cases but there's always stuff behind my back. Every night I cry myself to sleep. The only thing that is helping me through this is my best friend. She always try's to protect me and it just makes me happy to know that she does that. So my advice to you is find a friend so that they can protect you to. And if you are that friend make sure that you are protecting your friend.

—Guest Brice

If you're bullied or know someone who is

Please please speak to an adult or a teacher you trust so that they can help you. It's every school's responsiblity to make sure children are safe. It's every school's responsibility to put a stop to bullying. Things can get better. You can do it!!!!

—geronimo1120

Bigots

Huntington wv is way more liberal than eastern Kentucky. Several years ago I saw The Color Purple in Huntington. The movie played nine or ten weeks. When it finally reached the small town I lived in( and thankfully have escaped from) in eastern Kentucky I mentioned enjoying the movie to a woman from our church. When the film arrived in our town this particular lady went to see the film. Well! Her response was less than what Jesus would require. How dare you tell me to go see a movie where the n words backtalk white folks ! And those n word lesbians! We'd run those two right out of town! In my day n words knew their place and didn't go around fing like rabbits. That movie should be rated X. They should not let filthy movies like that be rated PG-13 and corrupt jnnocent young morals. As it turned out her family were slaveholders back in the day.

—Guest Guest

a chick in her rite ish mind

all my life i was around gay men and i grown to love them so much every one at my old school was awesome and no one was rude to guys who were unsure but then i move and i got more friend in which are mainly guy and one of them started to make fun of some one in our group and called him gay but i contuied to stand by him, then he thought he could be mean to me i was very hurt and i got away from that group and became friends with some chicks. they acctally understand me more. well i was talking to my fav uncle ,who btw is gay, and i ask him a qusetion about if he missed me and he responded that he almost starved himself when he heard we moved so in lang. arts we are makeing conflict thing so i decideto to make him a care package and i hope he likes it cuz i miss him so much and i dont know what i would do if anyone ever dared lay a finger on him.

—Guest hell to the dumb

Being gay

I'm an openly gay 15 year old male. I live in a small town of about 4500 people. It's a huge farming community and I am the only openl gay person in the whole town. I am bullied everyday. I hate that it happens and some times I wish I could hide my sexuality again but I won't. Because maybe just maybe I can give people in my high school that are still in the closet a chance to come out. Me and a really good friend just started tO make a gay straight alliance it's really hard because this I s a really religious conservative community but we are hoping we will make it work

—Guest Tre

It's Not Fair

If the abuse in school is bad, it's often worse outside of school where there is no adult supervision. I am not gay, but my cousin and I were friends with a gay guy in her class during my junior year of high school. During school, he wasn't made fun of much, but outside of school kids would throw things at him, calling him "fag". It was these same kids who in school were the honor roll students, the ones all the teachers loved. I didn't understand how people could be so hateful, how they could be so cruel to someone they barely knew. After graduation, he cut off ties with everyone. It was painful to see that happening, to see someone so miserable that he cut everything and everyone out of his life that even remotely reminded him of the torment he endured from kids at our school. I haven't seen him in almost 2 years, but I hope he reads this, and even if he doesn't make the connection that it's me, it helps him anyway. Heck, I just hope this helps someone. Bullying makes me sick.

—Guest Anna

Bullys

I'm being bullied at highschool because I joke around with gay ppl on facebook but I have never once been serious about gay or bi, mostly I'm lonely and broken after my girl started to date 40 year old men but now a friend took my iPhone and found everything and this mexican kid went around school telling all his friends I'm not gay at all idk how many times I have to say in not gay and I'm not denial I'm just not gay yet people accuse me of being gay I dress emo but lotta of my friends dress similiar and they are not gay. But I don't know what to do now it's been 2 days so far since everyone thinks I'm gay except my closest friends know for a fact I'm straight. Email me for suggestions to fix this...

—Guest Straight person12345

:(

Hello. I am 13 and get bullied everyday at school. Everyone thinks I'm gay andI think I am since I have gay thoughts about guys I like. 99% of my friends are girls and that makes it worse. Another thing is that I am a socialite and people then think I am annoying. I also do weird things and ppl and teachers get mad saying that all I want is attention when all I want is one very close friend. It doesn't even have to be a partner, just a best friend. I am a little chubby and dress rlly generic so ppl use that against me too, making it worse. I play online games to vent and twice I said I wanted to kill myself and the cops showed up. I told them I didn't mean it, when I rlly wish that I had done something. It scars my family life cuz I always fight with my parents and I'm guessing they suspect stuff cuz of my attitude and how I take forever in the bathroom. All I wish is to get out of this hellhole. No one knows, and I don't want anyone to know, but I just want this to stop!!!!!! :(

—Guest I'm talking on this blog

What should I do

I've been gay my whole life, took me a while to realize it. But I'm gay. I've had gay experiences. And one day i decided to tell my friend. She goes to a different school. The next day after I told my friend my secret. I was asked about it. I was shocked. How did people that go to a different school than my friend hear about this. Well she told one person my secret. Then the word got OUT. School to school. My name was beginning to be written in every bathroom at school. People were writing gay slurs about me on my papers and projects. I'ts a daily thing for me. And it is unfair. I just want somebody to love. Why should it be this hard. I feel like i shouldn't even show my face in the hallways anymore because i know the first thought that pops in everybodies mind. Hes gay, and probably some other rumors made up about me. I'm tired of it, and BTW I'm still in the closet....I want to keep it like this because high school kids cannot handle the truth. THey are very immature. And Im sick of

—Guest NOT IMPORTANT

dont hurt youreself :(

i have been asked once or twice about baing a lezbial or bi. i never let it bother me until one of my best friends asked me about it. she reallt hurt me when she did that because ya kno ur best friends beleiveing rumors that they kno arnt true. that day she told everyone i waz, even tho im not, & then i went home after harrrasment & found an old peice of glass. you can probly guess the next part. but anyways im only 14 & the bullying haz barily started, whats gana happen when i get in highschool ?